Plug holding socket

ABSTRACT

A plug holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing means which includes a spring member for elastically holding an insulation part of plug.

0 United States Patent 1191 [111 3,745,861 Totsu et al. July 17, 1973 [5 PLUG HOLDING SOCKET [56] References Cited [76] Inventors: Katsuyuki Totsu, No. 04-7, UNITED STATES PATENTS Oshlage, sumida-ku, 2,304,271 12 1942 Merriman et al. 81/125 Tokyo; N0b0ru Molifllji, No. 5-1 82, 2,320,044 5/l943 Merriman 81/125 Tsukamoto-cho, Higash,

Yodogawaku, Osaka, both of J apan Filed: July 30, 1971 Appl. No.: 167,660

Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-James G. Smith All0rney-lrvin S. Thompson and Robert J. Patch l 57] ABSTRACT A plug holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing means which includes a spring member for elastically holding an insulation part of plug.

2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJUL I 1 W5 INVENTORS KAT SU YUKI TOTSU NOBORU MORIFUJI 1 PLUG HOLDING SOCKET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a for the wrench.

The plug holding socket heretofore used comprises a housing connected integrally to a hollow body which accomodates a rubber holder for elastically embracing the insulation part of the plug. However, the rubber member is usually worn out due to the repeative use at the elevated temperature and in an oily environment and finally the holding efficacy is destroyed. Further, the process for manufacturing the plug holding socket of this type is cumbersome and therefore the product is comperatively expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to obviate the above disadvantages and to provide a novel plug holding socket which enables to keep the holding effi' cacy for an extended period and may be simply manu factured at reduced cost.

In accordance with the present invention, the socket at its housing accomodates therein a spring means for elastically holding the insulation part of the plug.

The principal object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a plug holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring means for holding the insulation part of the plug.

In one aspect of the present invention, the spring means comprises a substantially circular fitting member to be fitted into a groove provided on an inner wall surface of the housing and two plug embracing coils of smaller diameters than the fitting member extending integrally and symmetrically from the said fitting member.

In accordance with the two plug embracing coils symmetrically arranged, the plug insulator is held in a more stable manner than the frust-conical spring means hereinafter described.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plug holding socket including a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom.

The plug embracing coils may be preferably formed of an elliptical shape for extending a size allowance limit of the plug insulator to be held by the said embracing coils for convenient use in various commercially available plugs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a plug holding socket including a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom in an elliptical shape which extends a size allowance limit of the plug insulator to be held by the said plug embracing coils.

In another aspect of the present invention, the spring means is constructed by a substantially frust-conical coil having three stages wherein an end portion of the bottom stage line is raised to bear the middle stage line externally whereas an end portion of the top stage line plug holding socket is bent downwardly to internally limit the movement of the middle stage line.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a plug holding socket including a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring holding means comprising a substantially frost-conical coil having three stages wherein an end portion of the bottom stage line is raised to bear the middle stage line externally whereas an end portion of the top stage line is bent downwardly to internally limit the movement of the middle stage line.

In a further aspect of the present invention, the spring means is formed of a substantially circular washer plate which is provided therein two or more raised holding petal members which are somewhat bent outwardly at their top portions to provide a constricted portion for embracing the insulation part of the plug to be held.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a plug holding socket including a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring holding means comprising a substantially circular washer plate which is provided therein two or more raised holding petal members somewhat bent outwardly to provide a constricted portion for embracing the insulation part of the plug.

It has further been appreciated that the plug insulator holding petal members are preferably constructed to have different heights in an alternate relation and the petal members of different heights are somewhat bent outwardly at their top portions to form two parallel constrictions for embracing the plug insulator in a stable manner.

It is, therefore, the other object of the present invention to provide a plug holding socket including a hollow body and a housing which accomodates therein a spring holding means comprising a substantially circular washer plate which is provided therein with a number of raised holding petal members of different heights in an alternate relation and the petal members are somewhat bent outwardly at their top portions to form two parallel constrictions for embracing the plug insulator in a stable manner.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein satisfactory embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a fragmentarily enlarged elevation in partially sectioned of the plug holding socket with the spring means of one embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the spring means of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spring means of the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentarily enlarged elevation in partially sectioned of the plug holding socket with the spring means of the second embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the spring means of the third embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a plan view of the spring means of the fourth embodiment in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a cross sectional view taken along the line BB of the spring means of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentarily enlarged elevation in partially sectioned of the plug holding socket with the spring means of FIG. 6A; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentarily enlarged elevation in partially sectioned of the plug holding socket with the spring means of FIG. 1 but holding the insulation part of the plug.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and more particularly ot FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention is illustrated therein by way of a socket wrench 10 which is comprised of a hollow body 12 provided integrally with a housing 14 of hexagonal shape having a room 16 communicating to a hollow path 18 of smaller diameter than that of the room 16. The room 16 is interiorly provided with a groove 20 at the corner portion in abutment with a stepped portion 22 formed along the demarcation line between the hollow path 18 and the room 16. In lieu of the groove 20, several point projections may be provided on the inner wall surface of the room 16 in abutment with the stepped portion 22.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the spring means 24 shown in perspective view comprises a substantially circular fitting line 26 and two plug embracing coils 28 of smaller diameter than that of the fitting line 26 which extends integrally and symmetrically from the said fit ting line.

The plug embracing coils 28 are preferably formed of a somewhat elliptical shape so that a sized allowance limit of the plug insulator is considerably extended for convenient use in the commercially available plugs of various sizes.

. In FIG. 3, the plug holding member of another embodiment in accordance with the present invention comprises a substantially frust-conical coil 30 having at lesat three stages wherein an end portion 32 of the bottom stage line 34 is raised to bear the middle stage line 36 externally and an end portion 38 of the top stage line 40 is bent downwardly to internally limit the movement of the middle stage line 36 on the insertion operation of the plug. That is, the plug insulator is inserted from the bottom stage line 34 through the middle stage line 36 toward the top stage line 40 with movements of the bottom stage line 34 and the middle stage line 36 caused by friction between the bottom stage line 34 and the surface of the insulator. However, since the movements of these lines are limited by the end portions 32 and 38 respectively as mentioned above, the

lines 34 and 36 never exceed the top stage line 40 and as a result the plug insulator is engaged with the bottom stage line 34 in its substantially original position so that undesired return action of the plug once held by the holding socket is tangibly prevented. However, it will be appreciated that the holding action of the plug may also be attained by a mere frust-conical coil spring free from the end portions 32 and 38 although some undesired returning action of the plug due to the movements of the bottom and middle lines across the top stage line can be seen when the friction between the bottom stage line 34 and the surface of the insulator is comparatively strict.

In FIGS. 6A, 6B and 7, thjeplug holding member comprises a substantially hexagonal washer plate 41 which is provided in the plate with a number of raised holding petal members 42 having different heights in alternate relation and a group of the taller petal members 44 and a group of the shorter petal members 46 are both somewhat bent outwardly to form two constrietions in parallel which support the plug insulator in a stable manner similar to the spring means 24 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The washer plate is further provided with a number of seat sections 48 adapted to make a rigid engagement with the inner wall surface of the housing 14 in a position in abutment with the stepped portion 22. In accordance with this embodiment, the groove for securing the spring means is not required as can be seen from FIG. 7.

The above washer plate with the holding spring means may be formed by a suitable punching operation with considerably low cost.

What is claimed is:

l. A plug-holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing which accommodates therein a springholding means for an insulation part of the plug, said spring-holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug-embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom in an elliptical shape for extension of a size allowance limit of the plug insulator to be held by the said plug-embracing coils.

2. A plug-holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing which accommodates therein a springholding means for an insulation part of the plug, said spring-holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug-embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom, said springholding means further comprising a substantially frusto-conical coil having three stage lines wherein an end portion of the bottom stage line is raised to bear the middle stage line externally whereas an end portion of the top stage line is bent downwardly to interiorly support the middle stage linc. 

1. A plug-holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing which accommodates therein a spring-holding means for an insulation part of the plug, said spring-holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug-embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom in an elliptical shape for extension of a size allowance limit of the plug insulator to be held by the said plug-embracing coils.
 2. A plug-holding socket comprising a hollow body and a housing which accommodates therein a spring-holding means For an insulation part of the plug, said spring-holding means comprising a substantially circular fitting member and two plug-embracing coils of smaller diameter than said fitting member and extending integrally and symmetrically therefrom, said spring-holding means further comprising a substantially frusto-conical coil having three stage lines wherein an end portion of the bottom stage line is raised to bear the middle stage line externally whereas an end portion of the top stage line is bent downwardly to interiorly support the middle stage line. 